How the Galaxy are dealing with pressure to make playoffs as regular season winds down

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Interim Galaxy coach Dominic Kinnear, who trails only former Galaxy coaches Sigi Schmid and Bruce Arena on the all-time list for coaching wins in MLS, led the Houston Dynamo to MLS Cup titles in 2006 and 2007. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

The prospect of missing the MLS Cup playoffs for a second consecutive season is strong for the Galaxy.

An unexpected coaching change started the week, and now with six games remaining, the Galaxy are in survival mode and staring at a second consecutive season of missing the playoffs.

“When things don’t go good and the results are not there, always it’s the coach who takes that responsibility,” Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic said of the move to replace Sigi Schmid with Dominic Kinnear. “We have to keep going and keep working hard. We still have six games left to play and we still have to believe and try to make it.”

The attention shifts back to the field Saturday as the Galaxy visits Toronto FC (4:30 p.m.; Spectrum SportsNet) in a crucial game.

All it takes in MLS is a poor stretch and you will find yourself looking outside of the six playoff spots. That’s been the Galaxy of late.

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On July 29, the Galaxy moved into third place in the Western Conference. They haven’t posted a win since. The Galaxy went winless in August and after the Sept. 1 6-2 shellacking at Real Salt Lake, the Galaxy fell to eighth place.

“I don’t know if we have more pressure because the pressure should be the same as before,” Ibrahimovic said. “We are the situation that we are … we want to make it and we have to make it. Listen, we have nothing to lose. We have six games left and we will go for it and do everything to try to make it.

“Yes, we’re dependent on the other teams, hopefully they don’t do so good. The pressure? I love pressure.”

With 38 points, the Galaxy (10-10-8) are three points behind sixth-place Seattle (12-9-5) and two behind seventh-place Vancouver (11-9-7).

Seattle and Vancouver face off this weekend and they’re both on the upcoming schedule for the Galaxy (Seattle on Sept. 23 and Vancouver on Sept. 29).

“This club should be fighting for playoffs, fighting for winning championships and the last two years I’ve been here, we haven’t done that,” Galaxy defender and captain Ashley Cole said. “The lads have to get behind Dom (Kinnear) and battle because now the time is too critical, we have to start winning.

“The way this season has gone, it’s been up, down … but saying this, imagine if we won five games, then we would be near the top, it’s not impossible, but it starts on Saturday.”

The full three points would do the Galaxy a lot of good. A draw against the powerful TFC (7-14-6, 27 points), with the next two games at home against teams ahead of them, would also help.

“I think everyone knows the urgency of the situation,” Kinnear said. “We don’t have the coach that started the season with us, we have six games left, we still have a chance to make the playoffs. The only thing we can do these last six games is treat it like you should every game, you have to play with pride and play from minute 1 to minute 90.

“The only thing I demand from the players, as any coach does, is when you step across that line, you are focused, you are working hard to do one thing and to help your team win the game.”

L.A. GALAXY (10-10-8, 38 points) at TORONTO FC (7-14-6, 27 points)

Kickoff: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. PT, at BMO Field

TV/Radio: Spectrum SportsNet; LAGalaxy.com (English); KWKW/1330

Update: Toronto FC, the defending MLS Cup champions, have been fighting uphill all season. Currently, TFC sits in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, nine points behind sixth-place Montreal for the final playoff spot with seven games remaining. TFC has the third-lowest points per game average in the conference at one point. Sebastian Giovinco leads TFC with 16 goals, Jozy Altidore has 15.

Damian Calhoun is the Prep Sports Coordinator and writer for the Daily Breeze. He's also the soccer writer for the Southern California News Group, covering Major League Soccer and occasionally the U.S. national teams.